


(i'll take) the fall and the fault of us

by their_dark_materials



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: AU where Alex Mason doesn't exist, But Seb does, Canon Compliant, M/M, Robron Secret Valentine, Robron Secret Valentine 2018, Vanity, blind date au, but not as much as I want, dating game au, for plot purposes, slight AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-18 00:56:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13670928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/their_dark_materials/pseuds/their_dark_materials
Summary: Aaron sits back in his chair, his arms freshly crossed over his chest, his legs stretched out in front of him and just the most done expression ever. Chas cannot wait to see the look on his face when he realises what’s happening.“Bachelor No. 3, tell us about yourself!”On cue, Robert Sugden steps out. Instantly, the crowd falls silent, an excited buzz running through them.“Hi, my name is Robert, and I run a haulage company.”Or, a slight AU where Aaron never dated Alex, and Chas is forced to process her feelings about Robert, when she and Charity host a Blind Date-style game at the pub for Valentine’s Day.





	(i'll take) the fall and the fault of us

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jamesm97](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jamesm97/gifts).



He keeps insisting there’s no real reason for her to worry about his continuing “friendship” with Robert. But as Chas stands there and watches her son sit mere centimetres away from the man who broke his heart, it picks at her psyche in the worst way possible. Lately, all she wants to do is scream, _How can you just sit here after everything you’ve done to Aaron?_

Not that Robert — or her son — notices the daggers she’s been glaring in their direction. As far as they’re concerned, the rest of the world, let alone any inhabitants of the pub they’re currently tucked away in the corner of, doesn’t exist. She can feel her scowl deepen a few more millimetres when Robert shifts in his seat and his knee knocks into Aaron’s and remains there, pressed up against it with Aaron not even attempting to move it away. It makes her hate Robert a little more than she had when he first walked into the Woolpack an hour ago; a feat she’d heretofore considered impossible.  

But that’s a Robert Sugden speciality, isn’t it? Pushing every single button she has while leaving her unable to respond adequately — all because of how much she loves Aaron.

(And yes, Chas does acknowledge that the blame for this situation doesn’t rest squarely on her ex-son-in-law's shoulders. She’s definitely saved some of her abundant annoyance for her stubborn ass of a son, who’d immediately flocked to his side within a minute of entering the pub, barely even responding to her greetings of welcome.)

“Honestly, what do they even have to talk about ?” She wonders aloud, her tone dripping with the strain of bitterness that only Robert can inspire in her.

“Whatever they’ve always talked about, I suppose,” Paddy answers lightly, more than used to hearing this train of thought from his concerned girlfriend. “Cars. Boxing. _Murder_ .”

She shoots him a pointed and clearly unimpressed look, causing him to raise his hands in surrender. “I’m only joking!”

“ _Focus_ ,” Charity chides both of them, coming to stand beside Chas. “We still haven’t come up with a good idea for our Valentine’s Day event.” 

“Well, what would people want to spend money on?” Chas asks trying to get them to generate more ideas.

“You mean like _alcohol and food_?” Charity answers, raising her hands to gesture at the pub around them.

“I meant for Valentine’s Day, you cow,” Chas responds with a light smack to her arm.

“Alright, grumpy goose,” Charity replies, as she makes a face. “Maybe we can deliver roses and small chocolate valentines to people on the day? Like a ‘secret admirer’ kind of thing.”

“You mean like David’s shop is already doing?” Chas asks, pointing out the flaw in this plan.

Charity shrugs in disappointment, a minute away from giving up.

“Ooh! Why don’t you just do a Blind Date event?” Paddy asks his eyes lighting up at the idea.

“Blind dating?” Chas repeats. “I guess that could work.”

“No no, I mean _Blind Date_ . Like that old TV series?” He reiterates. “The one hosted by Cilla Black?”

When he gets no response, he continues. “You know, the one where a single man or woman would come on, and they’d have to choose which one of three people they'd want to date. Only they couldn’t see them so they’d have to ask questions to get to know them.”

"You know, this actually isn't a bad idea," Charity says, turning to Chas with an excited glint in her eye. “People used to love that old show. I’m sure they’ll pay a couple of quid to watch us host one. Nothing’s as entertaining as watching someone embarrass themselves for love. I mean, look at you, you’re dating Paddy .”  

 “ _Hey_ ,” he protests on both their behalves while Chas thinks it over.

“So we’d be the ones fixing people up?” She asks, trying to wrap her head around this new plan. 

“Basically,” Paddy clarifies. “You’d just have to find a couple of people who’re looking for love, and then three more people who are interested in those first people… and answering questions in front of a crowd.”

“It’s easy money, babe !” Charity exclaims in support of this plan. “The worst that could happen is no one hits it off. But that’s why people will be signing up in the first place. The chance to meet someone in real life! That’s three more people than they’d meet on some website.”

“Alright… I’m in.” Chas says thoughtfully, her eye wandering back over to where Aaron and Robert are seated, the pair of them still deep in conversation. Only now she can recognise the traces of affection that are starting to emerge on her son’s face, coming together to form an expression she’d last seen on him when he and Robert were still married. It causes her annoyance to flare up again, which in turn, inspires her a little further.

 “And I’ve got the perfect person.”

 :::::

 

She waits to bring it up with Aaron, knowing that this will be a somewhat sensitive matter seeing as how her son absolutely hates being set up with anyone. Lucky for her, the perfect moment arises the next day, when he stops by the pub for a drink — by himself, for once.

Chas pours him a pint and slides it over, all while wearing a big grin on her face.  

“Fancy doin’ ya poor mum a favour?” She asks cheerily.

Aaron looks up at her face and then back down at the drink in front of him, and then back up at her again. His eyes narrow and his expression grows suspicious. “I’m not watchin’ the bar again. I’m going to see a movie later.”

“No, not that,” she corrects him, her tone still as bright and nonchalant as she can make it. She hopes this will make it seem like a smaller ask than it actually is.

“Okay… Then what?” He looks at her expectantly.

She reaches under the bar and brings up a piece of paper that she then slides over to him. It’s one of the fliers they’ve made to promote the event. Aaron picks it up and studies it.

" _Blind Date_?" He asks, having read what it says. “Who’s gonna wanna do this ?”

Chas gives him what she hopes is her most convincing smile. “Well… I was hoping… You .”

He looks at her like she’s gone mad. “Yeah, because talking to complete strangers in front of a pub full of people is my idea of a fun night.”

“I’m hoping if people see someone fit and young like you doing it, more people will want to take part,” she lies in response. (Though it is a good reason if she says so herself.)

“Why can’t Marlon do it?” Aaron questions. “Loads of people will want to date a chef rather than some owner of a scrapyard.”

 “Marlon’s busy,” she lies. “And besides, you’re such a cute owner of a scrapyard!”

Her enthusiasm is met with one of his more pointed expressions, like a facial brick wall. She sighs inwardly. As much as she loves her son, sometimes it feels like she’s the mother of a grumpy old man instead of what should be an exuberant young one.

“Come on! It’s just a little bit of fun,” Chas changes her approach, making her tone more light and playful. “It’s not like you’ve got Valentine’s plans anyway… Have you ?”

She knows he knows she means the big blonde elephant in the room. The look he gives her makes it evident that he’s clearly studying his options and choosing what to say.

Eventually, he goes with a simple, “No.”

“Then there shouldn’t be any problem!” She says, keeping up that sunny tone as she brings out the sign-up form and gears up for one last effort she knows he won’t really be able to argue against. “Don’t tell me you’d say no to your own mother .”

As expected, Aaron rolls his eyes and grumbles. “Fine. Pass me a pen.”

:::::

 

They continue to hang out in silence for a bit. Him scrolling on his phone and slowly sipping at his drink, her setting up for the evening rush.

Feeling a niggle of guilt at having essentially guilted her son into moving on from his ex, she attempts to smooth things over.

“So…” she begins. “What movie are you watching?”

“The new Marvel one,” he answers, not taking his eyes off his phone. “Still haven’t watched it and Gerry keeps accidentally spoilin’ it.”

They lapse into a comfortable enough silence, but it’s not as warm as they usually are with him. That niggle grows a little larger.

“Robert’s a big superhero fan, isn’t he?” She says, extending an olive branch of sorts. She doesn't look at him, instead, focusing intensely on polishing the pint glass in her hands.

“He’s just a mate,” Aaron responds, his tone bordering on bored on account of the number of times he’s had to repeat himself on this matter (not that she’s buying it). His eyes remain on his screen. “It’s not like I have anyone else to hang out with now that Adam’s gone is there?”

That niggle turns into a full-blown ache of guilt at the mention of his since-absconded best friend. Enough so that she decides not to put up much of a protest about his current choice of companion. (In any case, if everything goes to plan, she’ll soon be putting an end to that friendship.)

“Nice of him to go see it with you,” she tells him, meaning it.

As if sensing her good intentions, Aaron finally looks up from his phone. “Yeah. He’s a proper mate.”

A chill goes through her at the matter-of-fact manner in which he says it. Like he truly believes it. It almost makes her want to believe. 

She’s searching for the right response when his phone actually vibrates with an incoming message.

“Well, that’s Robert ,” Aaron says, deliberately naming his ex-husband to make a point. “He’s waitin’ for me outside. So… Bye.”

He hops off the stool, gives her a nod and heads out the door.

“Have fun, Love !” She calls after him.

The door slams shut a minute later.

Chas fishes out the sign-up form and studies it, a smile spreading across her face. Even the fact that Aaron’s hanging out with Robert right now can’t dampen her mood.

:::::

 

The rest of the contestant sign-ups prove to be… interesting.

Rodney Blackstock throws his hat in the ring (mortifying his daughter Nicola in the process), as does Rishi Sharma (now touting his new knitting skills). Even Gerry tries to submit his name a few times (“ Come on! Ladies will be linin’ up to date me!”).

Finally, after much debate back and forth — and some attempts at bribery on Rodney’s party — they settle on Faith (a willing volunteer), Rishi (a toss up between him and Rodney), Laurel (a reluctant volunteer), and of course, Aaron (a grudging participant).

Excited for this plan, Chas sets about making posters with their faces on it. She tells Aaron it’s for “marketing purposes” but really it’s so she has an image to show all the attractive, young men she’s been chatting up as they walk into the bar, eager to find out if they’re gay and single. (So far she’s been using her phone, which while effective, requires her to be surreptitious any time her son is around.)

“What would you say your interests are?” She asks Aaron one day when he stops by for a drink, his blonde shadow joining him at the bar.

He shrugs in response, but Robert simply rattles off, “Boxing, video games, and beer.”

As much as Chas hates it, she can’t help but agree. She writes it down. 

:::::

 

The posters turn out to be a hit — especially Robert’s suggestion — with Aaron's especially attracting a decent number of interested potential suitors. She takes to distributing questionnaires Charity printed off the internet, so as to start determining whether the men signing up to date her son are at least compatible with him.

(That requires some light editing on Chas' part, as she takes out questions like “What would you say is your ideal way to die?”)

Still, she couldn't be more thrilled with the response. 

:::::

 

“You sure Aaron’s really okay with all this?” Paddy finally asks her the day before, when she returns with yet another completed questionnaire from a man interested in Aaron. “You know how he feels about being set up.”

“The only way he’ll get over Robert Sugden, is if he gets under someone else,” she argues back. “Plus, he’s already agreed to this.”  

There’s a long pause, the kind in which uncomfortable thoughts are formed and awkward questions are brewed. Chas can practically taste the forming tension as Paddy sits at the bar just staring at the pint glass in front of him. Judging by his expression, he’s wrestling with his desire to keep his mouth shut, as much as she’s trying to bite her tongue instead of just asking him to share whatever it is he's holding back.

She’s proven correct when that tension finally snaps, and he says, “Don’t get mad at me for saying this…”

Now a different kind of tension begins to build as her defences shoot up. (The obvious result of anyone uttering a phrase like that.)

“But is it so bad if he isn’t?” Paddy asks, saying what she’d been dreading he will. “Over Robert, I mean.”

He’s right. She doesn’t want to hear it. She’d expected this argument from her son, but not her boyfriend.

“He broke Aaron’s heart. Paddy,” she says softly, but no less clearly, enunciating every word in the anger that man still inspires in her. “He cheated on him while he was _in_ prison. He made my baby hurt himself .”

Paddy looks chastised, but he still argues back. “You think I don’t know that?”

“He tried to kill you,” Chas points out, now just diving into the list of reasons she’s been compiling for the last few months, waiting for the right moment in which to present them to Aaron.

“Yeah, and I’ve forgiven him,” Paddy replies with a fierceness she wasn’t expecting.

She sighs. “I don’t know where this is coming from. You’re hardly Robert’ Sugdens biggest fan.”

Now it’s Paddy’s turn to sigh. “I may not be. But Aaron still is.”

When she doesn’t say anything, he continues, “I saw how he looked at Robert on their wedding day. It was like he’d hung the moon. That kind of love just doesn’t go away.”

Chas looks away, not willing to cede that he does have a point. She knows how it is. Ever since they’ve met, neither man can be kept away from the other from too long, before they eventually start pulling everyone in with them.

Paddy keeps talking, “Anyway, Robert’s changed.”

She shoots him her most sceptical look, “Really? How many times have I heard that before?”

“He’s the one that helped me plan Aaron’s birthday party,” Paddy admits. “And he helped me pick the present.”

“He what ?” She'll admit it. That surprises her. 

“Those tickets to Leeds? That was his idea,” Paddy admits. “So was the cake. I didn’t realise Aaron’s favourite flavour had changed.”

She hadn’t either. She’d questioned her boyfriend’s choice to buy a butterscotch cake all morning (only she hadn't mentioned it out of politeness, waiting for Aaron to do her dirty work for her on that one). But then she’d seen Aaron’s face when he first tasted it. (“How’d you know?” He’d asked, eagerly going in for another bite. “Liv filled me in,” Paddy had replied at the time.)

She stares at her boyfriend, unable to believe that he’d lied to her for almost a month. 

Seeing her expression, Paddy makes one last attempt to defend himself (and by proxy, Robert), his voice soft and loving. “Chas, you know I’d do anything for Aaron. He’s like a son to me.”

“But he isn’t really your son, is he?” 

The words are out before she can stop them. Her tendency to lash out coming to the fore. Chas can see the hurt blossom in his eyes, but she can’t bring herself to apologise, not yet, not right now — even though she’s as sorry as she’s ever been.

Because she’d made a promise to herself, that Gordon would be the last man she’d ever let hurt her son. Only then, Robert had gone and managed to do that, hadn’t he? Even after he’d _promised_.

So yeah, there’s no way she’ll let him near Aaron’s heart again. Not after what her boy’s been through.

She hopes that Paddy can recognise that.

Perhaps he does, because he simply says, “I can see you’re upset.”

And then, because he is somehow able to be the bigger person in this terrible situation that has gotten out of hand, “I guess I’ll see you later. Good luck with tomorrow.”

As she watches her hurt boyfriend depart, Chas vows to find Aaron a man that will make all this worth it.

:::::

 

The next morning she leaves Paddy at least 5 voicemails and 13 texts — all of which go unanswered. Eventually, Marlon tells her that he’s off on some kind of call involving a horse birth. But Chas isn’t sure if that’s really the case or just his excuse to avoid her.

Not that she has much time to worry about that. She still has plenty to do before their big night. There’s the matter of getting the pub decorated, and narrowing down the 12 suitors in time for the event tonight. The only upside is that she’s already got Aaron’s three picked out: James (a photographer), Barry (some kind of forensic analyst) and Oliver (works at a nightclub in Hotten, or at least that’s what he’s put down). So it’s really more about finding the right people for Rishi, Laurel, and her mother. (She shudders at the thought of the last one.)

Thankfully she’s able to wrangle Cain (as well as a fast-asleep Isaac) into helping blow up the balloons Paddy was supposed to be helping her with — even though he’s clearly distracted with whatever he’s trying to plan for Moira.

She’s in the middle of supervising an alcohol delivery (they’ve decided to stock up for the night) when she has to step out to answer Bob’s questions about hosting the event that night. (After some discussion, she and Charity have decided that it would be easier to have each participant question their suitors one on one, considering the bar doesn’t have much room for all three of them and the curtain barrier they’re putting up in their already tiny designated stage area.

When Chas returns, she finds her brother replaced with her son, and her napping nephew replaced with Robert. Both men are standing off to the side as they inflate balloons, just like she’d asked Cain to do. But as she watches them she notices that there's this almost romantic kind of lightness between both men as they continue to trade jokes and smiles between each balloon inflation, the familiar banter slowly sparking a renewed flirtatious energy between them. 

She snaps out of it when Robert makes some kind of joke that causes Aaron to laugh, a full-bodied response that sees his head tip back, and his shoulders burst free of their usual anxious tension as he just radiates a burst of joy. It's the side of him she's always hoping to see. 

"What’s going on here ?” Chas asks, coming up to them. Her tone remaining sunny, even as her voice feels tight.

“Cain said you needed some help,” Robert answers her, helpfully. “Seb’s with Rebecca today, so Aaron asked if I’d join him.”

She wants nothing more than to turn him down and put a stop to this. But she sees the pile of balloons around him, and the way some of the nearby tables have already been arranged and she knows it’s because of his eye for decorating. As stubborn as she can be, Chas Dingle knows when to suck it up and accept help — even if it’s from Robert Sugden.

As she gets back to the delivery order, she wonders — not for the first time since she woke up this morning — if maybe Paddy is right and she should just stop trying to delay the inevitable. Robert and Aaron will probably end up getting back together. It’s how it’s always worked between them. Because even when they’re broken up, they manage to remain as married as ever.

(Case in point, Aaron’s face and demeanour reverting back to his real age as he keeps pelting Robert with helium-filled balloons in an effort to distract him as he attempts to tie one of the heart-covered inflatables to a piece of string so he can anchor it to a chair.) 

It’s almost like old times.

 _Almost_.

Because the spell breaks barely a second later when Robert’s phone rings and it’s Rebecca calling about something to do with their son. He gives Aaron an apologetic glance and gestures that he has to leave, before moving to step out of the bar as he continues to talk to her, Aaron’s eyes trailing after him as he does so. The balloon Robert was holding, floats up to the ceiling, where it remains unnoticed by Aaron. 

And just like that, Chas doesn’t need any more convincing that she’s right. Her son deserves better than this. And hopefully, any one of James, Barry, and Oliver can help him see that.

:::::

 

Later that night Chas is in a panic. It’s a packed house, with almost half the village turning up and hoping to get in on the fun. (Gerry and Liv are taking bets, something she's decided to turn a blind eye to.) Only it's almost time for Aaron to go up and he’s nowhere to be found. She's left him at least a dozen messages — and twice as many texts, but he’s still not responding. (Neither is Paddy, but at least that’s understandable.)

But with the clock ticking down, Chas is slowly moving from worried to straight-up annoyed. She’s about to go out looking for him, when Aaron finally walks in through the door midway through Rishi’s final question. (“ If you could have dinner with one fictional character, who would it be? ”)

“Where have you been ?” She asks him in a furious whisper. But a glimpse of the familiar blonde figure walking through the door behind him, gives her all the answers she needs.

 _Robert_.

Of course.

Probably doing all he can to sabotage this evening. She feels almost vindicated. Finally some proof. Only Paddy isn’t here to see it. Besides, she doesn’t have time to address this right now. Instead, she just orders Aaron to head near the front and await Bob’s introduction.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Robert go take a seat at one of the few empty tables at the back. While he can’t see much, it does give him a clear view of where Aaron’s sitting. She thinks about blocking it for half a minute, but then she remembers the three gorgeous men she’s picked out for her son, and decides that his watching Aaron flirt with them will be punishment enough.

:::::

 

Only she’s made one fatal miscalculation. Because as it turns out, Aaron Dingle is horrible at small talk.

It starts with his introduction, which is as barebones as can be (“Hi, I’m Aaron.”) leaving poor Bob to do most of the elaborating (“He’s a former mechanic and now, the owner of his own scrap business! ”). Still, it gets off to a decent enough start as the tall, dark-skinned, and exceptionally well-dressed James takes his seat in the suitor’s chair.

He answers Aaron’s first question (“What’s the coolest thing you ever took a picture of ?”) with charm and aplomb, his deep voice capturing everyone’s attention. Chas’ attention flickers over to Robert from where she’s standing behind the bar, but it doesn’t seem to really affect him much, if anything he’s looking at Aaron with this almost dreamy expression on his face.

Unfortunately, it quickly goes downhill from there. For all of James’ (“Call me Jimmy”) efforts, Aaron just doesn’t seem to be too interested in following up any of the more interesting tidbits he packs into his answers. Rather, most of his questions revolve around photography (“What’s the fastest thing you ever took a picture of? ” “What’s your favourite photograph? ” “What camera do you use? ”) or sports (“Who’s your favourite football team? ” “What team would you play for if you could? ”).

Chas finds herself wondering how Aaron wound up with any of his boyfriends, let alone Robert. For that matter, now she’s really curious about what it is Robert and Aaron have been discussing all these days because it seems like her son has no real social skills. (She is tempted to blame it on his ex-husband, but Aaron’s too nice to deliberately sabotage something like this.)

Thankfully the 15 minutes come to a close fast.

:::::

 

Barry, a fast talker, doesn’t fare as well during his turn. If anything, time seems to stretch on and on between Aaron’s questions and his more amiable answers.

As the slim, pale young man attempts to move their conversation along and drop hints and lines as to many other topics, all while cracking wise, Aaron seems intent on ignoring it, choosing to navigate any shared interests they might have in his own way. Sadly, the only thing they have in common now is cars — and that well looks like it’s going to run dry any minute.

“Oh good!” Vanessa whispers softly as she takes a seat on the bar stool Charity’s reserved for her. “Robert convinced him to come after all!”

“Robert?” Chas asks, the name catching her ear. “What does he have to do with this?”

She nods towards the stage where Aaron has only slouched down further in his seat, his arms crossed over his chest, radiating the kind of discomfort only found in a dentist’s chair, while on the other side of the strung up curtain, Barry looks like he's starting to sweat as he fidgets awkwardly.

“He’s the one that convinced Aaron to do this,” Vanessa explains like it’s no big deal. “He was going to try and get out of going tonight. But then Robert told him to try and be more open to new experiences and that he might hit it off with someone cool.”

“Robert said that?” Chas asks, unable to wrap her head around it. “Robert Sugden ?”

Vanessa laughs at her reaction. “Yeah. I mean, I know he can be a mess, but there’s no need to sound so surprised. He actually gives great advice.”

“Wait,” Charity jumps in. “Since when are you and Robert friends?”

“Since l came out, I guess,” Vanessa says thinking about it. “You know, he’s actually really been there for me.”

That gets Chas’ attention.

This is the first she’s hearing about this newfound friendship. Since when did Robert Sugden encourage Aaron Dingle to go out and meet men who weren’t him? And since when did Robert help people who weren’t Aaron?

Vanessa reads the surprise on her and Charity’s faces, and chuckles warmly. “I’m as surprised as you are! I never thought we’d have anything in common, but turns out being outed in front of the entire pub and then searching for a label for yourself can really bond you — no matter how big the age gap.”

“Ooh… yeah. Sorry about that babe,” Charity says, wincing a little before leaning forward to give her a kiss, which Vanessa readily accepts.

When they break apart, Charit asks, “So what do you and Robert do when you hang out?”

Chas detects a slight hint of jealousy in her cousin’s voice, no doubt the motivation behind the question. Nonetheless, she’s glad she asked it because she too wants to know the answer.

Vanessa shakes her head, having heard the same thing in her girlfriend’s voice that Chas heard. “We don’t really ‘hang out,’ we just talk and give each other advice sometimes. Who do you think put that dating app on my tablet?”

“Oh.” Charity responds, mollified by that answer. "I might need to have a word with him about that." 

"You hush," Vanessa says. "That man did us a favour." 

Chas however, is far from calm. She looks over at Robert and sees that his attention is still on Aaron as he continues to do his impression of the World’s Most Awkward Date. She once again tries to find a word for that same dreamy look on his face, but it still eludes her. All she knows is that for once, she believes his sentiment is real. 

Onstage, Aaron's attempts at verbal teeth-pulling continue unimpeded. (“If you could drive any car in the world, which car would you drive? ”) 

:::::

 

“Why aren’t you up there?” Chas demands, hands on her hips as she blocks Robert’s view of Aaron.

“What do you mean?” He asks her, confused by the question.

“Thought the last thing you’d want is for Aaron to move on,” she tells him, awaiting his defence.

“Well, that’s where you’re wrong,” Robert tells her, before holding up his hand. She sees that his wedding band is missing. “He said he wants to move on, so I’m letting him."

Seeing that she isn't fighting him on it, he continues, "But I did promise him I’ll be his mate. And if that means coming here and supporting him while he gets set up with other men. Then I’ll do that. Because that’s all we are… _friends_.”

Despite everything she's seen tonight and every other night so thusfar, Char still finds herself unable to believe it. Even though Robert’s just reiterating what Aaron’s been telling her time and again. She thinks of what Paddy said about this kind of love not just going away easily.

Behind her, she hears Aaron’s bored sigh as he launches into yet another uninterested question (“What’s your favourite colour?”) and she notices that the look on Robert’s face when he moves his head to catch a glimpse of her son, hasn’t changed. And now she finally has a name for it.

He’s besotted. 

Chas looks over at Aaron, and confirms that he's currently wearing an expression on his face that only a mother could love. (Especially if the person sporting it were a 26-year-old man and not a cranky toddler.) 

A second later she comes to a decision. As much as she might come to regret this, she has to fix this.

:::::

 

She heads to the bar and returns with another questionnaire and a pen. She hands both to Robert. “Fill these out. Now.”

If he’s surprised to see her return so quickly, he doesn’t show it. Instead, he gazes at both her offerings for a half a minute before taking them. He starts writing a minute later.

Chas takes a seat next to him. As he answers each question, she tells herself its just because she wants to see just how compatible he and Aaron really are. But deep down she knows that that’s not true. It’s because she’s hoping that he’ll give her something, _anything_ , that’ll prove she’s right — not Paddy, not Vanessa, not Aaron. But her.

Seven minutes later, Robert hands her the finished questionnaire to read over. As she takes it, she notes the stark difference between his neat, cursive writing, and Aaron’s manic chicken scratch. The difference is laughably night and day. 

While she skims the questionnaire, she’s half focused on what Robert's doing. He’s gone back to watching Aaron, his face softening again, like he genuinely can’t control his reactions to him.

Huh. Chas thinks. In all the time she’d been studying the effect he's had on her son, she never thought to watch him instead.

That brings her back to the matter at hand, as she finds herself pausing on the answer to Question 12.

“Do you mean this?” She asks, placing the paper on the table and tapping the relevant line of writing. “Or are you just trying to earn points.”

It takes him a second to focus on what she means, and then he’s lost in a stare to what it is he wrote.

“No, I mean it,” he answers softly. “Every single word.”

He looks up to meet her gaze, and suddenly it’s like they’re back on March 11 of last year, with Chas sat on the living room sofa in tears, and Aaron still in prison…  

:::::

_Chas looks up to see Robert walk in with a big bunch of flowers and one of those generic paper gift bags._

_"Hi,” he greets her softly, clearly noting her tearstained cheeks._

_Looking up at him, she can see that his hair’s just barely been styled and that his shirt remains unironed. But that’s nothing compared to his face, which makes it clear he hasn’t slept in days. That just brings more tears. He’s not supposed to be here. He’s supposed to be off with Aaron in Barcelona on an extended honeymoon, having the time of their lives._

_Instead, he’s here, watching her cry over a plate of toast._

_Aaron’s favourite, her errant mind insists on reminding her. But she pushes through that, wiping away her tears to focus on Robert currently holding out a bouquet._

_“Happy Mother’s Day,” he wishes her._

_“You didn’t have to,” she tells him, taking them both from him. She smells the flowers — lilacs, her favourite. “How did you know?”_

_“Aaron told me.”_

_Right away she knows it’s a lie. But she smiles up at him nonetheless. “I love my son, but he has never given me flowers a day in his life. So I’ll ask you again. How did you know ?”_

_Robert blushes at that. “Your perfume. You always wear that when it’s a special occasion…"_

_He pauses for a breath before softly adding, "Like our wedding. ”_

_The mention of it is tough for her, as she thinks of how happy Aaron had looked, even when forced to dance in Robert’s arms. Once again, tears gather and threaten to fall. But she does her best to steel against it, willing herself not to lose it in front of the one person who has it worse than her ._

_“Thank you, Robert,” she tells him, her voice thankfully  not shaking. “They’re lovely.”_

_“Those are from Aaron,” he says, before holding out that paper bag. “And this is from me.”_

_Chas takes it from him and opens it. Inside is a card and what appears to be a black hoodie. She gives him a questioning look._

_“It’s Aaron’s,” he explains. “He’s got a wardrobe full of them, and this one smells like him. It’s not the cleanest, but I thought you might want it.”_

_She looks at him. Really looks at him, taking in the tired slope of his shoulders, the bags under his eyes, and lack of lustre in his hair and skin._

_"Why don’t you keep it?” She asks._

_He shakes his head. “ I just keep waking up and thinking he’s here.”_

_Not wanting to upset him further she focuses on the occasion itself, attempting to tell a joke. “You know just because I’m your mother-in-law now, it doesn’t mean you have to get me a gift.”_

_Instead of making him chuckle, her words just makes him blush._

_“I know,” he says, shyly. “But I wanted to.”_

_He takes a deep breath. Now it’s his turn to steel himself. “I know we haven’t always been the closest, and you’ve pretty much hated me at times, but I’m really grateful for all your support. You mean the world to Aaron… And as much as I love Diane, you’re the closest thing I’ve had to a mum in a while.”_

_The force of his words hits her in the chest, a gentle blow that causes a small flower of affection to bloom. She leans over and puts an arm around him to give him a side hug, one he willingly accepts, resting his head on her shoulder. For a second she pretends this is Aaron she’s soothing._

_“We’re going to get through this,” she tells him, sounding more confident than she feels. “Because you’re one of us now. And when the going gets tough, we Dingles stick together.”_

_All she gets is a sniffle in response. But a moment later he sits up straight and says, “Thanks.”_

_Chas reaches for the plate of cold toast in front of them._

_“We better get started,” she tells him, offering him some. “There’s nothing more depressing than toast no one eats.”_

::::

Her eyes flicker back down to the questionnaire, examining those same words written there in his neat, cursive scrawl, under the question, What is your favourite quote? Why? (Under it he's written the same quote, along with the words, "Something my mum said.") 

Each time she reads over them, she’s hit by a twist of affection, followed by a fierce wave of anger. She lets out a slow breath.

“I trusted you to love and take care of him,” she tells him. “Because one day I won’t be there to do that, and I needed to know that someone I trusted was.” 

That familiar expression of guilt returns to his face. It’s the same one he’s been sporting for months. Only this is the first time it occurs to Chas that maybe it’s the same because it’s always been real.

 _Huh_.

She sighs. “You know, I don’t think he ever thought he would get married. But _you_ made that happen. _You_ made him believe in that. And then you threw all that away… For what ? Revenge? Your obsession with that stupid family?” 

Chas knows it’s wrong to blaspheme the dead, but right now that’s the furthest thing from her mind. “Was any of that worth it?”

Robert just looks at her, and again she sees, truly sees, the impact everything’s had on him so far. His hair may be back to looking like it used to, and his shirts are once again crisp and ironed, but there’s something in his eyes and his shoulders and his face that just looks… tired. In a way, he’s no different from that day on the sofa.

“Don’t you think I don’t know that? ” He asks. “I couldn’t sleep for months after he left me. Then, the couple of months after _that_ , I thought I’d never wake up. Because everything just hurt .”

He takes a deep breath. “But then Seb was born and Aaron told me I had to move on. Because _he_ wanted to move on. So I’m trying to let go now, okay? I mean, I had to get hit by a car to realise that, but I’m genuinely trying now.”

Robert looks away from her to focus on Aaron. The second his eyes hit her son, his entire being becomes more peaceful.

“But you still love him,” she observes, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

“Don’t think I’ll ever stop,” he admits, eyes in front. Not bothering to hide it. “Even if I’m not with ‘im. I told you. Meetin’ Aaron… It changed everything . Everything I’ve ever done since is either for or because of him.”

She lets the silence flow between them, giving them a brief reprieve before she’s ready to make her admission.

“You didn’t just break his heart, you know,” she finally tells him. “You broke mine too.”

The pause that stretches out between them now is long and knowing.

“I don’t really have good luck with mothers, do I?”

He’s joking, but she can tell he’s masking what is a familiar cocktail of pain and guilt. (It’s what she’s been sipping from all day every time she thinks of what she said to Paddy.) But that little sentence on his questionnaire, is real, tangible proof of how much pain losing this relationship has caused him. When he lost Aaron, he lost a whole other part of his family.

She takes a deep breath, and thinks of her son. “I’m willing to try again if you are.”

“What? Really?” He looks as surprised at her as she feels.

“I’m not stupid, I can see the way you look at each other. Even now ,” she answers. “If he’s already forgiven you, I reckon I should be able to as well.”

There’s another long pause, this one more quiet and tenuous.

“I wouldn’t forgive me,” he tells her quietly.

She nods.

“I know. That’s why I’m okay with this. Because you’ve learned your lesson,” she responds, her voice dead serious. “Besides… You’re not going to live to see a ‘next time’ if you ever do this again. Even if I have to rise from the grave to do it.”

He nods in agreement. “You won’t need to.”

“Good,” she tells him. “Now go backstage and get ready.”

“What?” He looks at her, confused. She wants to smile, only because it’s the same kind of dense look Aaron gets on his face sometimes.

“You think I’m going to let my son be the only one getting embarrassed tonight?”

There’s something playful and just a hint of motherly about the way she says it. But she can tell from his face that he’s heard her loud and clear.

Aaron’s not the only son who’ll have to make a fool of himself tonight.

The smile he flashes her is radiant. 

:::::

 

The next part of her plan involves intercepting Aaron. Or as Chas calls it, "the hard part."

Bob’s just finished wrapping up the second round — leaving both men on stage looking as relieved as ever — when Aaron bolts from his seat and heads for the door, clearly looking for his ex.

“Aaron wait !” Chas calls out after him.

Thankfully, he pauses. But her relief is short-lived because then he turns around and glares at her .

“I’m sorry,” she tells him. “I promise, I’m done interfering your love life.”

That seems to temper his glare somewhat.

“You know, for someone who really hates Robert, you can be a lot like him,” Aaron growls. “Because if you really loved me, you’d stop trying to control me like this. You can’t keep protecting me. It’s my heart to break. I can decide if I want to risk that happening. Not you. Me .” 

He moves to head out the door, clearly looking for the other man.

Chas springs into action. “Trust me Love, I agree, but there’s just one thing …”

“What?” He asks her, his voice filled to the brim with exasperation, and one foot ready to go out the door.

“You need to go meet this next bloke.”

“You’re joking me.” He looks her dead in the eye, but she holds strong so as to not to ruin the surprise.

“No,” she tells him firmly, because he’s still her son, and she can still get him to listen. “I promise, if you don’t like him I never get to tell you a single thing about anyone you date ever again.”

He studies her face for a full minute before agreeing, like he’s searching for some kind of hidden clause. When he locates none, he grudgingly mutters, “Fine.”

He stomps back to Bob, grabbing one of Vanessa and Charity’s shots off the counter and downing it first. ("Hey! I was drinking that!" "Let him! He's already having a rough night.")  

Chas makes her way to the front of their little “stage” area, and hands Bob Robert’s form. He looks at the name and gives her a confused look. She smiles and nods. He responds with a bright smile of his own.

Things are about to get a lot more interesting. 

:::::

 

Aaron is back in his chair, his arms freshly crossed over his chest, his legs stretched out and just the most done expression ever on his face.

Chas cannot wait to see the look on his face when he realises what’s happening.

“Alright ladies and gentleman, up next is our third and final bachelor for the night,” Bob’s voice is filled with a renewed energy, knowledge of what’s coming next clearly buoying him enough to put up with her professional grump of a son. “Bachelor No. 3, tell us about yourself!”

On cue, Robert steps out from the crowd and stands behind the big sheet they’ve put up to separate Aaron from his potential dates. Instantly, the crowd falls silent, an excited buzz running through them.

“Hi, my name is Robert, and I run a haulage company.”

His soft, but clear voice carries through the sheet separating both men, and he’s barely through his name when Aaron sits up straight.

He doesn’t say anything just yet, but he searches the crowd until he zeroes in on his mother. Chas gives him an apologetic smile and mouths the words, “I’m sorry.”

She knows he forgives her because his expression softens — not unlike the way Robert’s does — with his lips forming a gentle smile, and his eyes crinkling with untapped mirth. In her chest, her heart swells at the sight, letting her know that this is indeed worth it.

“So, Aaron,” Bob continues. “What would you like to know about Robert?”

His expression flashes from surprise to mischievous in a matter of seconds.

“Robert,” he practically purrs the word out, a smug grin on his face. “What would you say is your most embarrassing memory?”

“Does this count?” He answers back in typical Robert Fashion.

 "It's hardly a memory if it's still happenin'," Aaron fires back. "Or did they change the meaning of the word?"

Robert rolls his eyes and thinks for a minute before he bursts into a smug grin of his own. "Well... There is that one time Charity walked in on me and this bloke I was living at the time while were in the shower together." 

Charity whoops at the sound of her name, following it up with a shot while Aaron's ears turn a bright pink. He, like Chas, is quickly realising that of the two of them, Robert was never the one who was prone to embarrassment or any kind of shyness regarding his sexual exploits. Robert continues on, still feigning innocence. "Then there's that other time when we were in a pub basement, actually I'm pretty sure it was this pub's basement, and-"  

“Maybe let’s keep it to one memory,” Bob steps in, barely just remembering his to do his job. He swallows nervously. “Got any other questions Aaron?”

Chas makes a mental note to get the basement thoroughly cleaned now that she knows that she and Paddy aren’t the only ones not using that space for its intended purpose. (And based on the beet red colour Vanessa's turned since, she suspects that Charity and her might also be guilty of the same.)

Back on the tiny makeshift "stage area," Aaron thinks for a moment, having managed to shake off his temporary bout of Robert-induced embarrassment. Then his eyes light up, and he asks his next question, "What would you say is the  _biggest_ quality you look for in a partner?" 

There are some naughty titters from the audience as Chas rolls her eyes. Having proven unsuccessful at embarrassing his ex-husband-turned-friend, it’s clear he’s now aiming to earn some flattering praise.

“You mean other than an ego ?“ Robert fires back gamely.

He waits for the audience to finish laughing before he quietly adds, "His heart." 

That wipes the smile off Aaron’s face. 

“What do you mean by... that?” There’s a slight wobble in his voice, like he can’t believe what he’s hearing.

“Well, I tend to mess up. A lot,” Robert states apologetically. “So I need a partner who understands that. But isn’t willing to just let me glide by. Someone who’ll call me out when I need it.”

 _Someone like_ you, hangs in the air.

“Sounds like you need a moral compass mate,” Aaron jokes in response, attempting to defuse the emotional tension.

“Not a compass,” Robert corrects, still earnest. “More like a telescope. I want someone who’ll help me see what’s important when I need it.”

Chas is pleasantly surprised to find herself charmed by that answer. One look at Aaron’s face and she can see that he’s on his way there too. But not yet. Because he's not making it easy on his ex-husband at all. She smiles ruefully. Aaron was right about being able to take care of his own hear. 

Aaron swallows hesitantly before launching into his next question, clearly changing his approach again. “If we could go anywhere in the world on a date, where would you take me?”  

Chas is expecting Robert to say “Las Vegas” — especially considering the fact that they were supposed to go for Aaron’s birthday last year. But he surprises her (and also, it would appear, her son) with something much more closer to home.

“Actually I know a great little pub,” he jokes. “One of the owners has a son. He’s not too bad to look at.”

There’s a few chuckles from the crowd. Aaron just shakes his head, a tolerant smile on his face. But then Robert comes back with a serious answer, and judging from the look on Aaron’s face, it means something to the both of them.

“Manchester.”

“Manchester?” Aaron echoes, something fond and wistful creeping into his voice.

"There's this little hotel on the outskirts of town that someone I loved and I once stayed at. It's right next to this chip shop that makes the best fish and chips in the world," Robert replies, his tone matching Aaron's. "At least according to... you know... that person. But I was thinking it would be nice if we went there."

Chas is so busy watching Robert recollect what is clearly a precious memory that she misses Aaron get to his feet and pull back the curtain. In his surprise, Robert ends up taking a step back. 

“Robert, what are you doin’ here?” He asks, his voice devoid of any joking. "What is all this?" 

“I know you hate it when anything gets too public,” Robert explains. “But we always seem to end up in the pub, yelling in front of everyone anyway. So I just thought I’d cut to the chase and, I don’t know... Ask if you’d like to go grab a drink some time?”

Aaron pretends to consider it. “Maybe." 

The hopeful expression on Robert's face drops a little, but then Aaron adds, "But not at that pub you just mentioned. I don’t fancy the competition... Not that it would be close or anything." 

Robert laughs in agreement. "Yeah, he  _is_ a lot hotter than you."

Aaron gives him an unimpressed look, but there's a twinkle in his eye as he buries his hands in his pocket and turns to leave, pretty much putting an end to his segment of this event. 

But Robert calls after him, stopping him in his tracks. “Ask me what my biggest flaw is.”

Aaron turns to look at him. A whole second goes by as he considers that request. "You mean other than your ego?" 

That earns another laugh from Robert, but he nods anyway.

Chas waits with bated breath as Aaron chooses to bite. "What would you say your biggest flaw is?" 

He swallows nervously, waiting for the answer.

Robert takes a tentative step forward. In a not-so surprising twist, he looks even more nervous. 

“That I’ll never be good enough for you.”

There’s tears in Robert’s eyes when he says that, and Chas can feel it in every fibre of her being that he actually means that. She knows Aaron can too, because now his eyes are shining with unshed tears as well.

“You’re plenty good enough,” he confirms, almost like he’s willing Robert to believe it as much as he does.

He takes a tiny step forward… and then another and another. It’s matched by Robert’s just-as-hesitant ones.

Soon they’re standing facing each other, inches apart, each one focused on the other man’s face.

They both look nervous, unsure if they want to take this next step. Aaron’s hands are hovering, almost on their way to Robert’s waist, while his fingers twitch, attempting to make their way to Aaron's jaw. Their eyes are both focused on the other’s lips. Even from where Chas is sitting, the tension is palpable.   

And then-

“Just kiss already!” A voice yells out in the crowd. The tension pops like a bubble and rapidly disperses, causing everyone gathered to laugh, and Aaron and Robert to remember that they’re standing in front of a crowded pub. Chas watches as they both let out relieved laughs, while still standing as close as they had been before.

It’s in that moment — while everyone else is coming down from all that build up — that Aaron darts forward to kiss Robert, braving the public eye to do so. Much like Chas herself (possibly the only bystander still really watching), Robert is taken by surprise, but he adjusts quickly, his hands shooting out to grab the front of Aaron’s shirt and hold him in place, thus prolonging the gesture by a few more seconds. When they’re finally done, they pull apart, pressing their foreheads pressng close together as they smile at each other in relief.

Chas looks away, pleased by the outcome, but wanting to give her son and his new boyfriend some space.

:::::

 

“That’s a nice thing you did.”

She turns around to see Paddy standing there and smiling at her. She feels her cheeks grow warm as she smiles at him. “You saw that?”

“Mmhmm,” he nods coming a little closer. “Saw a little something extra too.”

She follows his head as he nods in the direction of the table she and Robert had been sitting at. She’s definitely blushing how.

“Well, someone very wise told me that even though they may not be Robert Sugden’s biggest fan, Aaron still is,” Chas explains, gazing up at the man she thinks she loves. “So I thought I’d take a page out of his book and not stand in the way.”

She lets out a deep breath before continuing. “Because sometimes _dads_ see something mums don’t.”

Paddy smiles at that, but he still says, “Chas you don’t need to apologise for-”

“Shut up,” she says, cutting him off. “Forget ‘like a father,’ you are a father to Aaron. And it was wrong of me to say otherwise. I mean that. Don’t you ever let me say that to you again.”

At the firm tone of her words, Paddy’s smile grows wider.

“Promise,” he mumbles, unable to say anything else.

Chas leans up to kiss him, before pulling him into a big hug, the action only fueling her relief that he isn't still mad at her. Over his shoulder she can see Robert and Aaron sitting at the same table she's been cursing and scowling at for all these weeks. Only now, when Aaron's knee brushes up against Robert's, and he tentatively reaches over and slides his fingers through his hand, her eyes light up and she smiles.  

**Author's Note:**

> To Jamesm97: I really, really hope this was everything you wanted when you gave me this prompt because I was really looking forward to writing it. I hope I got as much Robron as you might have wanted in there as well! (Also, I saw that you love the Arrowverse so I thought I'd give little nods to it in terms of the guys Aaron gets matched up with, i.e. James Olsen, Barry Allen, and Oliver Queen.) 
> 
> One of the things that really excited me is getting the chance to show Chas’ progression from hating Robert to becoming accepting of him. (Because that's all I've been craving from the show.) I also wanted to give both of them a relationship of sorts, because I really did enjoy how they bonded through dealing with Gordon and supporting Aaron. (That and I’m starting to suspect I have a thing for making Robert explore his mother issues.) But also because this was from Chas’ point of view, I gave her some drama with Paddy, because I suspect this is how it’s going to play out on the show, and also because it’s emblematic of how much Robert affects her as a character through his interactions with Aaron and the other people in her life. Also, apologies for the flashback. If it feels slightly OOC, that's completely on me.
> 
> I’ve been meaning to write a Vanessa and Robert BFFs fic, but life has gotten in the way of that repeatedly, so I snuck one of my headcanons in here. Also, I feel like part of Robert’s growth was seen in how he was trying to help her figure out her sexuality which is one of my favourite scenes, so I wanted to harken to that. Lastly, I wanted someone Chas has no reason to distrust to stick up for Robert, because I think it was part of her journey into accepting that Rob may have actually changed. I really hope I was able to do all of that justice. (This is probably one of the most ambitious fics I’ve ever attempted in terms of actually trying to have side stories and giving nods to other events within the show.)
> 
> If you have any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns, please drop me a comment or just hit me up on tumblr, where I'm rustandruin. Happy almost reunion!


End file.
